From: "David Q. King" <x.dqk@red.prmx.com>
Subject: Re: Help explain Floating Potential Oscillations
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
References: <78niq0$3ug$1@jupiter.cs.uml.edu> <79tnq9$rg0$1@jupiter.cs.uml.edu>
Organization: 2alpha (2alpha.com)



RobertF472 <robertf472@aol.com> wrote in article
<79tnq9$rg0$1@jupiter.cs.uml.edu>...
>
> Stewart:
>
> I am currently looking at the power charge electronics for the same form
of
> PPT. I am hoping that you can give me some information on the current and
> voltage profiles for the capacitive discharge and initiator pulses
>
> Secondly, how important is the capacitive form of storage, could one use
an
> inductive form of energy storage. From my perspective the two are
different in
> terms of their ability to provide initial HIGH current from the cap
approach vs
> an initial max current for the inductive approach.

Robert,

I worked on an inductive energy store for pulsed MPD
(magnetoplasmadynamic) thrusters years ago. We (Kenn Clark, Rod Burton & I)
were storing much more energy than a typical PPT needs, running 20 kA for 2
ms or so. The trick for a PPT would seem to be finding the means (both
electrode and inductor technology) to make an inductor small enough to
compete with capacitive storage.

David King